Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/17/1 - September - October 1915 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of CE W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/17/1
Title: Diary, September - October 1915
Mentions writing about bayonet charges,
Ashmead-Bartlett, censorship, H W Nevinson,
Mitylene and the French.
AWM138-SDRL606/17/1

Oct '15

Original.   DIARY No. 17.
AWM38       3DRL 606 ITEM 17 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918
THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer’s mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so — but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.
These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sept, 1946.   C. E. W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

Macintosh.
Bed.
Gum Boots.
Soap.
Candles
Lamp
Washstd.
Bed.
Chair
Mattress
Coat
Linoleum
Oil
Hammer
Nails
Wood for table
& Bed

Diary 17.
Sept 21 - Oct 4

Oct '15
esterday
Lesbos,

ished
to

,

paper
e exciting
or vice

afterwds
& quite
ed to

tions

y at
their

moment

turning

ho knows

ur
w rests

- they

ik we

cherous

Book 17 (omitted in first draft of this interim index)
17/1 (Sept ) 2l, 1915.) Brit.reputatn with greeks rests on belief in our perfidy!
We Keave Mitylene (Sept.22) in Latona.
17/2 Mitylene's inland harbour. Life in a minelayer.
/3 Early days up the Straits. Turks showing signs of fatigue.
/4-5 Navy expects to have to go thro'. Canopus and our boats on Apr.25 & S/bs
17/5 (Sept.23). Mudros again. Europa, Naval H.9.
17/6-7. Only one Aust. V.C. so far. 3 A.G.H. at Mudros - hardships. Navy helps.
17/8-9 Wounded of Aug.6-10. French foreign legion stunt, Saros.
/9-10. Germ. planes over G.H.Q. Imbros. (now A.H.Q. ?)
/10-11 Bulgaria in the war. Greece mobilising.
Bartlett and Ross back from Mitylene. Turner’s bloodthirsty tales. Sept 26.
/12-13. Early days (? May 2) at Cape Helles. The truth about war. Why I can't
write about bayonet charges as some do.
/14. False heroics, and the truth.
/15 Psychology of battle - heroism - and Australian quality.
17/16 (Sept 28.) Back to Anzac. (Sept 29) Bartlett sent home - Murdoch carriesm
letter.
/17. Aust. 1st Battery at Helles. Bartlett's letter discussed.
/18 No hope in Bartlett's favourite Bulair Offensive. Bartlett and Cabinet.
His recall.
/19 Delme Radcliffe, Tyrrell, and H.W. Nevinson.
17/20 (Sept.30) Inconsistencies of the censorship. I go to Helles to see our batteries 
there. French leaving - 30 troopships. Rumours of landing
project (Bulair) -real project, Servia. First rumour of our leaving
Anzac (from Col.Swinton, via Ross's son.)
Argus and Ageto discontinue my letters.
/21 My view of reason for this - they take Reuter’s news from Cairo, which is
largely untrue but suits better.
/21-2 Tyrrell sees me, but I won't object to it. Discussion with Tyrrell (Ch.
Intelligence offr) on War Correspts. The military view.
/23 My view on importance of telling the truth. Bartlett's comment.
/23-6 Battle of Coronel and Falkland Is (from H.M.S.Cornwall).
/26-7. Account from French officer of fighting in France.
17/27 Ashmead Bartlett. Cornwallis crew for him. Keyes v.Hamilton over?naval?fire
xxxxxxxxxx on Aug. 13 9 on Chunuk Bair.
/28 October 2nd. Comments on Bartlett (from Nevinson etc).
/30 Bartlett's work life. H.W. Nevinson. (30-1).
/32 Bartlett's repartee and style. Warned by G.H.Q. Lester Lawrence.
/33 Nevinson's wound. W, Maxwell censor and former correspt. Their experience.
/34 Wagner’s lies, and Maxwell. Maxwell on "the old game". Bennett Burleigh
35 Smiler Hales and others.
/Maxwell as war correspt.
/36 Bartlett: "Even a flea..." Our "villa" on Imbros. Delme again.

Macinto
Bed

Gum Boo

1

Diary
- Sept. 21 to Oct. 4
Tuesday Sept 21. Heard yesterday
one of the Mitylene paper - the Lesbos,
under German influence, published
that the Ger Enver Pasha had said
that the Germans were coming to
Turkeys help thro' Bulgaria,
with 400,000 men. The rival paper
came out with an even more exciting
special about 16 divisions. (or vice
versa). The Greeks seemed to me afterwds
- it may have bn fancy but I dont quite
think so - to be a little inclined to
be insolent - These small nations
are regular jackals, yapping at
everyone's heels - even those of their
best friend if they think for a moment
he is in difficulties things are turning
against him. Hatkinson who knows
them well tells me tonight tt our
reputation & prestige here now rest
on their belief in our perfidy - they
still respect us because they think we
are strong but are playing a treacherous

The town at / mouth
of the R. Morava - I
forget / name.
2 

game with Russia. They say "England
cd prevent R. being defeated if
she wished to do so; but she is holding
back at present bec. she doesnt want
to see Russia too strong - so she is
letting her ally be beaten - she will
slip in presently." So they are still
ready to fawn on us & attach themselves
to us - the people, I mean, not the
rulers - because they think we are
strong.
Tonight comes a Greek telegram
that the Germans successfully
bombarded Sassandos S________ in Servia
at 8 o'clock today. This is the
Servian town in their path to
Bulgaria if they follow the Railway.
Wed. Sept 22. Left Mitylene today.
Came over to / Canopus where we
had tea (a beautiful tea with cakes
& nice clean English crockery; in the
nice clean wardroom). At 9.30, in
a real gale, we left for the Latona - the

3
oldest cruiser in / navy, built about
1884 & now used as a minelayer.
They had been expecting us to dinner & had
raised a special dinner for us - I am
sorry we did not let them know.
Here as in the Canopus they have
a crew very largely consisting of Royal
Naval Volunteers. The old R.N.V.R has
turned out invaluable in spite of the half
derisive treatment which they used to get
at the hands of the authorities - even the
motor boat reserve is doing splendid work
over here.
The Latona turned round a big circle
on this inland sea & without a light
showing went silently out of we had seen
couple of searchlights wh the the narrow
mouth of this wonderful harbour. It
winds like a river through the hills
- barely a stones throw from side to
side. We had our searchlight turned
on the buoys as they hove up all
down / channel; halfway down is
a small island from wh we have laid
nets - one ws opened for us to pass.
An acetylene searchlight was
turned on / channel from either
bank - low down on / waters edge.
Sometimes, when they come out,
there appears in / hills a fire
- they say it is sure to be a signal to
/ Turks or / German submarines
on / Asiatic shore. I have seen such
a signal 3 times on Imbros from Anzac
It may have been nothing - but in every
case it came from / same corner o / island.
and in one case only lasted 3 minutes. It

we have also Aivali Harbour
filled w our mines - some Turkish
boats came down / other night to
try & interfere w these mines but
were prevented. While we were there
a monitor & a trawler steamed
in behind Pinyos, & went away again
- 2 of ours. I dont know what business
they came on, but it was strange to
see them float across this perfect
oleograph of a landscape.
4

must have bn reported for / Imbros police
told me they had to lie out & watch for such
a fire - but they never found one - 
This night as we went out there
was no fire tt I saw. It was full moon
but too rough for submarines to work well.
Besides, the Latona went out one night
& very quietly filled / Smyrna Gulf up w
400 mines - which ought to bottle it up
& apparently / Turks never saw her.
Its dangerous work mine laying - even
mine carrying. One hit & up you go.
The Princess Irene (I think it was) is /
only one hit so far – & she went up to /
clouds. The mines are stowed on / upper
deck on two long races - between rails -
like / races in a sheep yard. They drop out
over / stern. They have all sorts of safety
catches & devices but I think / crew &
officers are all very happy when / last
beastly machine plumps over / stern.
In / Canopus they told us they
had bn further up / straits than any other
warship except / Amethyst. She got
to a point very little North of Kephez
Point & not far off it - & the Canopus
early in / proceedings went up blazing
at searchlights very nearly as far -
a see little S. of the point. The Amethyst
was not seen until she started signalling
with her searchlight . Then she got it

5

pretty hot, but every shell was over the
waterline - she made no water.
In those days / Canopus used to stop
for lunch quite far up / Dardanelles -
there wasn't a gun there. Now they can
scarcely get into Morto Bay - every time
they get into it they are hit if they stay still.
Heead In / old days / only people
they saw down in the Kereves Derė & those
valleys were Turkish spectators - looking
on. Now / valleys, especially, the third,
S____ Dere, are full of guns & lots on the
Asia Side. Some o / forts have a heavier
armament than a battleship - chiefy
big batteries of 8 in guns, but several
14.2 11.2, & 9.4. [Some Naval guns
have just started to shell ...  Baba at Suvla
Bay. They are mounted high. On / whole,
though, / Turks daren't move their
guns from / straits. Many of these Straits
guns are sd to be old. The Goeben &
the Hamidich have been out again &
/ Turks are raising new army corps
in place o / ones they lost in / Caucasus.
They cant arm them, except w old rifles
some of wh, Martinis & others, are
now appearing at Suvla & Anzac. X
All / same / Turks show some signs of tiredness
- we get abt 2 deserters a day & there
are bands of deserters roaming wild
down / country behind Aivali. The Turks

6

got 6 of them to come in / other day, &
at once sent them up to Gallipoli where
they will probably be publicly shot – wh
will stop this sort of desertion.]
But to return to Canopus. She stayed
down at / mouth o / straits while / others
went up - they were to bombard / forts
for / mine sweepers to get to work - &
/ Canopus & Cornwallis were to go up /
straits xxxxxx last of all - late at night.
Of course their turn never came.
They heard o / disaster abt 7 that night -
they cdn't see what ws happening.
They still think / fleet cd get through
- probably losing all ships except /
last 2 or 3 - & they half think they
will be asked to do so. "You're turn
now," / Govt will say - they talk of
it with a laugh as if they meant
"Poor old Navy - I suppose we'll
have to do it." They practically all
work in lifebelts now when they're at
sea - there are several sorts, air
cushions, capok; also great ^life buoys
wh wd float about 60 men - diameter
abt 10 feet.
When they fired at searchlights /